Pakistani Christian lawmaker Jamshed Thomas has raised the issue of the controversial jobs advertisement published in the newspapers. The ad appeared in the newspapers on behalf of Secretary of Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education Peshawar, Mr. Bakhtiyar Ahmad Khattak.

The controversial ad said that pre-requite for sweepers’ posts was the applicants must be Christians. There were two posts for sweepers one for Peshawar Board and the Camp office; both required the candidates to be males and Christian. Moreover, the advertisement mentioned “Christian” under the heading of details.

This advertisement has irked the Christian community in Pakistan, as they term it a violation of their basic rights. Many Christians took it to the social media and expressed their anger and annoyance demanding immediate action taken against the newspapers and the concerned authorities of the Peshawar Board.

In this regard, newly elected Christian lawmaker Jamshed Thomas met with the concerned Secretary and brought the issue in his notice. MNA Jamshed told Christians in Pakistan that the Secretary had assured him to issue a corrigendum. Jamshed said that the Board will correct the controversial advertisement which had caused grievance among Christians.

Commenting about the advertisement Albert David- Chairman of Pakistan Minorities United Council said that the advertisement should have read “Say no to corruption and discrimination.” He expressed his exasperation on social media stating that continuous publication of highly insensitive and discriminatory job advertisements is condemnable.